Ozone Test Chamber is widely used in rubber, silicone and polymer industries to analyze how their products perform in practical conditions. It is also used to determine quality of rubber products. Aerospace, automobile, military and defense etc. are some of industries that are highly interested in meeting stringent performance for rubber products including O rings, gaskets, door seals, hose, tires, wheels and spare parts etc. ; here an ozone aging test chamber plays important role in quality testing. 

Background

• The stratosphere and the troposphere contain trace amounts of ozone, a highly reactive and unstable form of oxygen. Having a significant function in the atmosphere, it has both positive and negative impacts on all forms of life and non-life.

• While ozone in the stratosphere shields life and the planet from the sun’s destructive rays, the ozone near the ground in the troposphere is very dangerous to humans and is a leading cause of material degradation and corrosion.

• Ozone at ground level is mostly produced when air contaminants react with sunlight. However, some are also emitted from the stratosphere above. Ozone levels may shift over time and from location to location, even in the same environment.

• However, ozone concentration has risen recently due to fast urbanization and the rising human population. Because ozone is such a potent oxidant, it typically causes substantial material degradation, leading to economic losses because of higher production and maintenance costs. 

Purpose of ozone test chambers

• Predicting how long rubber goods (elastomers) will last in real-world applications requires a sophisticated methodology. The test systems have ozone generating and measurement equipment and other climate simulation elements, including humidity, temperature, and climate sensors and controllers.

• It is common practice to install mechanical devices inside the testing environments. They rhythmically apply stretch and twist pressures to the samples to mimic the stresses the materials would experience in real life.